Post submitted by Ianthe Metzger, Former Press Secretary, State & Local 

HRC responded to the Republican Party of Wisconsin’s vote to endorse State Senator Leah Vukmir for the United States Senate. An anti-LGBTQ extremist, Vukmir is out of touch with the majority of Wisconsinites who support equality.

“Leah Vukmir has no place in the United States Senate,” said HRC Wisconsin State Manager Wendy Strout. “She has consistently worked to undermine LGBTQ equality, and built a disturbing record that demonstrates a long standing hostility to some of Wisconsin’s most marginalized and vulnerable communities. Wisconsinites will not stand for a candidate who is a threat to our progress and the values we hold dear.”

Throughout her almost two decades in public office, Vukmir has derailed efforts to pass commonsense protections for the LGBTQ community, including protections for LGBTQ youth facing discrimination and bullying at school. She is a long time opponent of marriage equality and has close ties to some of the nation’s most virulently anti-LGBTQ organizations, such as the Family Research Council. Vukmir has consistently voted against pro-equality legislation and has pushed for a license to discriminate in the health care system that would prioritize  physicians’ beliefs over life-saving patient care. In addition to her attacks on the LGBTQ community, Vukmir’s extremist agenda also includes attacks on voting rights; health care including reproductive rights and mental health treatment; education; and the environment.

In Wisconsin, HRC has identified more than 560,000 “Equality Voters” -- voters who support LGBTQ-inclusive policies including marriage equality, equitable family law, and laws that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. HRC has prioritized investments and organizing in Wisconsin in the 2018 cycle, and has already put staff and resources on the ground in the state. Last year, HRC announced a coast-to-coast campaign called HRC Rising, which represents the largest grassroots expansion in the organization’s 38-year history.